THE AMERICAN PATIENT
Chapter XV – Waking (Part 5)
They lay together sleeping, their arms and legs entangled in a lovers embrace. The early morning sun crept in under the drapes. All was quiet except for the sound of their breathing.
Suddenly a loud persistent knock rudely broke the silence, waking every inhabitant of the house abruptly.
"Moommy!" Ella shrieked...
"Bloody Hell!" Elizabeth exclaimed....
"What the..." Romano mumbled.
The banging increased with ferocity and Elizabeth leapt out of bed grabbing her robe.
"Robert get UP!" she shouted and ripped the covers off him.
"Mommy!"
"I'm coming Ella...Robert see WHO the hell is banging down my door at stupid o'clock in the morning, AND THEN KILL THEM!" she shouted over her shoulder, heading out of the door.
He swung his legs out of bed and pulled on his jeans before grabbing a shirt and rushing off down the stairs.
"Quit banging you idiot!" he yelled, as he got closer to the door.
He yanked it open whilst shouldering into his shirt and inhaled deeply, ready to reduce the offender to tears with a vicious tongue-lashing. Instead the breath was sucked right out off his lungs when he saw who was standing there.
"Surprise Eliz.... Good Lord...What in heavens name are YOU doing answering my daughters door?"
Oh God it's the mother from hell
"Mrs Corday...what a lovely surprise." Romano purred in his best syrupy sweet voice, before looking over his shoulder and yelling loudly, "LIZZIE!"
Romano turned his face back to her and they stood eyeing each other warily; Isabelle taking in Robert's bare feet and unbuttoned shirt, shaking her head slightly.
"Well since you're here fetch my bags in, there's a good chap." She said condescendingly, pushing past him.
Romano muttered something inaudible as he stepped out of the house towards the waiting taxi.
"Ah, there you are Elizabeth."
"Mother! What are you doing here?" Elizabeth exclaimed, already halfway down the stairs with Ella in her arms, to see what all the commotion was.
"Catching you out by the look of it. Why is that rude little man answering your door in a state of undress, Elizabeth? Please tell me you're not consorting with him!"
"His name is Robert mother and yes, we are involved."
Romano reappeared with several large suitcases and a grumpy expression. Elizabeth clocked the amount of cases and felt the first stirrings of panic rise up in her throat.
"Erm, how long were you planning on staying?"
"Oh, just a flying visit, I'm on my way to a conference in Los Angeles in a few days and I thought it would be nice to see my granddaughter. Three nights, I do hope that's okay, one would hate to think one was intruding?" She said flippantly, staring evilly at Romano.
"No you're not intruding, although it would be nice if you could let me know your movements in the future mother!" she said folding her arms crossly.
Isabelle still staring at Robert, looked him up and down, "Yes quite...don't leave them there, take them upstairs!"
"Please?" he dripped sarcastically.
She eyed him menacingly, "Take them upstairs please."
Romano put on a false smile, "There that wasn't so hard was it." He grumbled, lugging the cases upstairs.
"Come to nana then." Isabelle held out her arms expectantly.
Elizabeth passed Ella over to her grandmother, who kissed the girl noisily on the cheek.
"So, does one still drink tea or have you gone completely native?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I'll put the kettle on." then sulked off to the kitchen.
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They were drinking tea in the kitchen when Robert reappeared fully clothed. Ella scrambled off Isabelle's lap upon his entrance, and leapt into his arms. She buried herself deep into his shoulder and clung on to him for dear life.
"Okay munchkin?" he peered down at her and whispered, "Don't worry I'm scared too."
Ella chuckled.
"I beg your pardon, did you say something Dr Romano?"
"I said I'd love a cup of tea."
"Harrumph," she glowered at him, "Shouldn't one be getting along to that hospital of yours?"
"Mother!" Elizabeth started warningly.
"Don't mother me Elizabeth!"
Romano rolled his eyes.
"Well this is lovely...but I have to go now." He said striding over to Elizabeth handing Ella over.
"Oh, how unfortunate."
"Go? Go where?" Elizabeth asked surprised.
"Er, I need to make sure my place is still standing and check my messages." He attempted weakly.
Elizabeth shot him a dirty look, "Fine, but you are coming straight back afterwards right?"
Romano had the good sense to look sheepishly at the floor.
"Robert?"
"Wouldn't you like some time alone with your mom?" he squirmed.
"Oh what a splendid idea!" broke in Isabelle.
"Here Ella, you want to sit with nana now?" Elizabeth said passing her into her mother's arms, not waiting for an answer.
"Let me walk you out." She grabbed his arm and started pushing him to the front door.
"What do you think you're doing?" Elizabeth said, her voice hushed but the tone pissed.
"Lizzie c'mon, if I don't leave I'll end up saying something very insulting, and then really give her a reason to hate me."
"Robert you're running away."
"Damn right I am."
"That's precisely what she wants and the opposite of what I want. You have to choose which Corday you want to make happy."
"Ahh, c'mon Lizzie that's not fair!"
"You promised Ella and I a trip to the zoo– are you going to disappoint us, just because you're scared of my mother?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"She's a scary monster."
Elizabeth folded her arms crossly, before smiling slyly.
"Just think how cold your bed will be tonight when you're all alone...and here I'll be, all tucked up, naked..."
Robert let out a low whistle, "Oh, low blow Lizzie!"
"Did it work?"
He pulled her to him and kissed her lingeringly on the lips.
"I'll be back in an hour or so." Romano whispered into her ear.
"Promise?"
He looked her up and down crudely, and winked.
"Oh definitely."
Then he turned and left...
TBC
Chapter XV – Waking (Part 5)
They lay together sleeping, their arms and legs entangled in a lovers embrace. The early morning sun crept in under the drapes. All was quiet except for the sound of their breathing.
Suddenly a loud persistent knock rudely broke the silence, waking every inhabitant of the house abruptly.
"Moommy!" Ella shrieked...
"Bloody Hell!" Elizabeth exclaimed....
"What the..." Romano mumbled.
The banging increased with ferocity and Elizabeth leapt out of bed grabbing her robe.
"Robert get UP!" she shouted and ripped the covers off him.
"Mommy!"
"I'm coming Ella...Robert see WHO the hell is banging down my door at stupid o'clock in the morning, AND THEN KILL THEM!" she shouted over her shoulder, heading out of the door.
He swung his legs out of bed and pulled on his jeans before grabbing a shirt and rushing off down the stairs.
"Quit banging you idiot!" he yelled, as he got closer to the door.
He yanked it open whilst shouldering into his shirt and inhaled deeply, ready to reduce the offender to tears with a vicious tongue-lashing. Instead the breath was sucked right out off his lungs when he saw who was standing there.
"Surprise Eliz.... Good Lord...What in heavens name are YOU doing answering my daughters door?"
Oh God it's the mother from hell
"Mrs Corday...what a lovely surprise." Romano purred in his best syrupy sweet voice, before looking over his shoulder and yelling loudly, "LIZZIE!"
Romano turned his face back to her and they stood eyeing each other warily; Isabelle taking in Robert's bare feet and unbuttoned shirt, shaking her head slightly.
"Well since you're here fetch my bags in, there's a good chap." She said condescendingly, pushing past him.
Romano muttered something inaudible as he stepped out of the house towards the waiting taxi.
"Ah, there you are Elizabeth."
"Mother! What are you doing here?" Elizabeth exclaimed, already halfway down the stairs with Ella in her arms, to see what all the commotion was.
"Catching you out by the look of it. Why is that rude little man answering your door in a state of undress, Elizabeth? Please tell me you're not consorting with him!"
"His name is Robert mother and yes, we are involved."
Romano reappeared with several large suitcases and a grumpy expression. Elizabeth clocked the amount of cases and felt the first stirrings of panic rise up in her throat.
"Erm, how long were you planning on staying?"
"Oh, just a flying visit, I'm on my way to a conference in Los Angeles in a few days and I thought it would be nice to see my granddaughter. Three nights, I do hope that's okay, one would hate to think one was intruding?" She said flippantly, staring evilly at Romano.
"No you're not intruding, although it would be nice if you could let me know your movements in the future mother!" she said folding her arms crossly.
Isabelle still staring at Robert, looked him up and down, "Yes quite...don't leave them there, take them upstairs!"
"Please?" he dripped sarcastically.
She eyed him menacingly, "Take them upstairs please."
Romano put on a false smile, "There that wasn't so hard was it." He grumbled, lugging the cases upstairs.
"Come to nana then." Isabelle held out her arms expectantly.
Elizabeth passed Ella over to her grandmother, who kissed the girl noisily on the cheek.
"So, does one still drink tea or have you gone completely native?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "I'll put the kettle on." then sulked off to the kitchen.
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They were drinking tea in the kitchen when Robert reappeared fully clothed. Ella scrambled off Isabelle's lap upon his entrance, and leapt into his arms. She buried herself deep into his shoulder and clung on to him for dear life.
"Okay munchkin?" he peered down at her and whispered, "Don't worry I'm scared too."
Ella chuckled.
"I beg your pardon, did you say something Dr Romano?"
"I said I'd love a cup of tea."
"Harrumph," she glowered at him, "Shouldn't one be getting along to that hospital of yours?"
"Mother!" Elizabeth started warningly.
"Don't mother me Elizabeth!"
Romano rolled his eyes.
"Well this is lovely...but I have to go now." He said striding over to Elizabeth handing Ella over.
"Oh, how unfortunate."
"Go? Go where?" Elizabeth asked surprised.
"Er, I need to make sure my place is still standing and check my messages." He attempted weakly.
Elizabeth shot him a dirty look, "Fine, but you are coming straight back afterwards right?"
Romano had the good sense to look sheepishly at the floor.
"Robert?"
"Wouldn't you like some time alone with your mom?" he squirmed.
"Oh what a splendid idea!" broke in Isabelle.
"Here Ella, you want to sit with nana now?" Elizabeth said passing her into her mother's arms, not waiting for an answer.
"Let me walk you out." She grabbed his arm and started pushing him to the front door.
"What do you think you're doing?" Elizabeth said, her voice hushed but the tone pissed.
"Lizzie c'mon, if I don't leave I'll end up saying something very insulting, and then really give her a reason to hate me."
"Robert you're running away."
"Damn right I am."
"That's precisely what she wants and the opposite of what I want. You have to choose which Corday you want to make happy."
"Ahh, c'mon Lizzie that's not fair!"
"You promised Ella and I a trip to the zoo– are you going to disappoint us, just because you're scared of my mother?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"She's a scary monster."
Elizabeth folded her arms crossly, before smiling slyly.
"Just think how cold your bed will be tonight when you're all alone...and here I'll be, all tucked up, naked..."
Robert let out a low whistle, "Oh, low blow Lizzie!"
"Did it work?"
He pulled her to him and kissed her lingeringly on the lips.
"I'll be back in an hour or so." Romano whispered into her ear.
"Promise?"
He looked her up and down crudely, and winked.
"Oh definitely."
Then he turned and left...
TBC